Peter's Sermon At Pentecost

In ACTS 2:1-41 the apostle Peter addressed a crowd of several thousand people in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost (fifty days after Jesus' ascension back to heaven) - the day God sent the Holy Spirit,
as Jesus had promised he would - and outlined the Good News.

A Summary of Peter's Sermon

• The sound of a gale and people appearing to be drunk at 9 o'clock in the morning are the fulfilment of an Old Testament prophecy, which said that God would pour out his Holy Spirit on Gentiles as well as
Jews in the end times

• Jesus of Nazareth was God's chosen Messiah, sent to save the world from God's anger at human sin

• The proof of this was the miracles he performed in the power of the Holy Spirit

• The Jewish religious leaders did not accept him. Instead they had him crucified by the Romans

• But God raised Jesus to life from the grave

• We are witnesses of the fact that Jesus is alive and is now seated with God the Father in heaven

• What you have seen today is proof of what Jesus promised and of what I am saying

• So you need to get right with God to avoid God's anger at your sins

The Crowd's Response to Peter's Speech

In verse 37 the crowd ask: "What must we do to avoid God's punishment for our sins?"

Peter replies: "You need to do three things -

• REPENT - turn away from your sinful way of life to go God's way
• BE BAPTISED in water to show God has convicted you of your sins and
you have repented of going your own way• RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT as Jesus promised."